Page 34 of 10 Ways to Accidentally Fall in Love

Joey rubs his temple. “Have youactuallybeen in the back rooms?”

“Honest mistake,” I tell him. “I thought there was candy.”

He starts to laugh, quietly at first, and then a little harder. “God, Brad. Don’t ever change.”

My chest warms at the simple fact that Joey likes me for me. It’s rare to find that. To find someone who accepts you for who you are. Who doesn’t ask you to change. Doesn’t even want you to.

“You’re a good guy, Joey Francis Delgado,” I tell him. “I’m glad you’re my friend.”

Joey drops his hand, looking at me for the longest moment. Those brownie-warm eyes are comforting, and I give him a small smile in return. His gaze slips to my mouth before skipping away.

Finally, Joey bumps his shoulder into mine. “Same goes for you, bub. You’re quite possibly the best guy I know.”

Well, shit.

“I kinda want to hug you right now,” I admit. “But we’re both a little sweaty. I mean,Iwouldn’t mind, but—”

Joey gives me a hug without hesitation, his massive arms wrapping around me tight. It’s the absolutebest, and I squeeze him back happily. I hear him chuckling as I count to six.

“Should we do something macho now to reassert our masculinity?” I tease as we lean apart.

“Please don’t say de—”

“Deadlifts!” I cheer.

Joey groans, but he gives my shoulder a slap as he stands, which I take as enthusiastic assent.

When our workout is finished less than an hour later, we hit the showers. I don’t even realize I’m mumbling Queen until I hear Joey hit a high note in the stall next to mine.

“Dude!” I gasp.

He laughs loudly before singing another line. I’m so impressed, it takes me a second to catch up, but then I’m singing along with him, the both of us going back and forth aboutletting him go. When Joey gets tomamma mia, I lose it.

Joey makes it out of the shower before me, already dressed and zipping up his bag as I emerge. “I’ll wait up front,” he says, heading around the corner of the lockers.

I get dressed, still sans underwear, and meet him near the glass doors a few minutes later, a grin on my face. “So are we slamming some nachos or what?” I ask, swinging my bag over my shoulder as Joey holds the door open for me. So polite. “And then we can find you some dick!”

The guy passing on the sidewalk looks over in alarm.

“Don’t make it weird,” I tell him. “No one likes homophobia.”

He moves along swiftly.

Joey shakes his head, but there’s a smile on his face as he lifts the hem of his shirt to wipe away the moisture that’s already accumulated on his forehead. It’s fucking hot today, so no wonder. Of course, the move reveals the sculpted planes of his stomach and the V muscles that, uh… That…

Um.

I nearly jump out of my skin when Joey says my name. “Brad?”

“I wasn’t thinking about testing my theory!”

He looks alarmed by the volume of my voice. “What theory?”

“It’s, uh, nothing. Gutters, though, they’re useful, you know? The way they…function. You ready to go?”

He’s still looking at me oddly. “Sure. Want to throw your bag in my truck?”

“Yeah, that’d be great,” I tell him. Definitely don’t want to drag my sweaty gym clothes to the bar. “This is gonna be awesome, Joey-roo. We’ll find you a boomer in no time.”

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